Employers and employees are two interdependent aspects. In 2009, due to the impact of the financial crisis, frequent layoffs and salary cuts occurred in enterprises, which triggered a trust crisis among employees towards their employers. A recent survey by 51job.com titled "The Most Popular Employers in China in 2009" shows that people hope to work for well-known employers while also hoping that their employers can care more about them, help them achieve career development, and assist in balancing work and life. In an uncertain economic environment, people's desires for promotion, salary increase, or even job hopping have decreased, and they now pursue happiness derived from work more.
The popularity of corporate fame is most sought after. According to a survey of over 13,000 professionals, corporate brands play a positive role in attracting and retaining talent. More than half of the respondents said they value "high corporate reputation," with only a small number working because of the "fame of entrepreneurs." Despite being significantly impacted by the financial crisis, foreign wholly-owned enterprises still maintained high attractiveness. As high as 42% of respondents prefer European and American companies, approximately 22% and 18% respectively favor state-owned enterprises and large private enterprises.
Feng Lijuan, Chief Human Resources Expert at 51job.com, analyzed that Chinese-funded enterprises represented by large state-owned and private enterprises are increasingly focusing on talent strategies and employer brand building, but European and American companies are more systematic and strategic in constructing employer brands.
Even though Microsoft, IBM, and other companies have reduced their recruitment volumes, these enterprises continue to steadily invest in relationships with universities and even high schools, emphasizing the subtle influence of their brand on students. This includes continuing to offer internship positions, senior management participating in campus recruitment, providing systematic training for new hires, language, management skills, professional technology, and striving to develop and utilize employee potential. In terms of brand promotion, European and American enterprises not only use more channels but also focus on promoting good facilities, cultural environments, institutional environments, and development environments within their companies, while also emphasizing employee professional behavior. In contrast, the employer brand strategies of Chinese-funded enterprises often change with business operations, relying more on "salary" to attract and retain talent.
Work happiness surpasses compensation and benefits. Due to the slowing down of salary growth and position advancement, switching jobs has become less easy, leading people to pursue "happy work." Thirty-seven percent of respondents indicated that they place more emphasis on the pleasure derived from work. Next is the sense of accomplishment brought by work. Most describe what "happy work" is as "work content is of personal interest," "work content frequently changes, no repetition," and "low work pressure." However, only 15% are willing to "handle multiple roles," with more people hoping for "clear division of labor" and colleagues performing their respective duties.
Feng Lijuan stated that as income increases and material wealth becomes abundant, more and more people hope that work and life remain "independently distinct," enjoying life fully while working hard, making "workaholics" rarer. On the other hand, due to economic uncertainty, the return on investment in work decreases, but work remains the main source of income, causing people to waver and struggle between prioritizing "life" or "work."
Employer care for employees forms over substance. The survey shows that employees hope to receive care from their employers, placing the requirement for the commercial ethics of employers second. Only 3% of respondents value corporate social responsibility more than employer care. Regarding "career success," 27% rely more on opportunities provided by the company for employee development; 25% believe it primarily depends on individual internal motivation; 21% believe personal talent leads to career success. Meanwhile, the most effective channel for promoting employer brands is employee word-of-mouth, with integrity, capability, concern, and fairness of the employer being four major influencing factors in gaining employee endorsement. However, only 19% of respondents said that the managers in their companies care about employee ideas; over half of the respondents think their performance is unrelated to the company's achievements.
Human resources expert Feng Lijuan expressed that caring for employees is also part of the company's social responsibility. In the past decade, talent competition and employee turnover rates have remained high, with increasing investments by companies in employee care. However, under economic fluctuations, most employers undoubtedly prioritize short-term operational gains. Currently, the actions of companies concerning employee care mainly rest on corporate rules and regulations, where form outweighs substance. Work satisfaction, a sense of achievement, balance between work and life, and influence on employers mainly depend on personal efforts and adjustments.